Pneumatic propulsion of vessels.



E. WILDE.

PNEUMATIC PROPULSION OF VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1906. RENEWED JULY 22, 1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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PNEUMATIC PROPULSION OP VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 190a. RENEWED JULY 22, 1908.

915,004, Patent ed Mar-.9,1909.

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EDWARD wuss, or riiimnsmsm, PENNSYLVANEA.

. Pimosrsrro' rlecrorisror or f Specification of Letters Izr'cenlz.

No. 915,004. Patented Application filed June 8, 1906 Serial No. 3255712, Renewed. July 22, 1993. Serial No. sas es.

To all whom ma cow em.

pipes loading from the compressors to the Q o ugh l'he valve chambers, and therefrom sliced posit-ion, delivering air pressure Be irks-own that I, -lovmno l -Finns, a. cirihullgend the guards beside lzeel'. .Fig; 2 zen of the United States, residing er. Phillis "is o longitudinal section through the corner 1 dolphin, in the county of Philadelphia and of the vessel, showing: an engine o comso 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented cerpresso", s. valvccharnber, a valve and its new and useful l mprovcmentsin Pnew operative in chanism, and the pipes leading medic lropelsion o'l Vessels, of which, the folmic and out of the velvechzm her. Fig. 3 is lowing is e. specification. :1. portion of (fie bottom of the vessel showing This invention relates to the amp rvmenl the relation of ho heel and the short guards 65 1c of pucunmtic prcssurc for the propulsion of l t7. enings between them. Fig. 4r vcsscls;.r,he employment of compressors for an the compressor cranks. creorion oi pressure, and therei' om ion of the vows chamber 011 passoges either side of the vessels k *el line :c F 2 showing the val. in central or which discharge the pressure iaowaro the neutral sition, and set lo deliverpressurc'jo scernor how, under the vessel's boil-om, be fore and all, when the vessel is stopped, two-n Lhc "eel and a guard of less lcngah While'the compressor is still running; Fig. {i l each side of the keel, so that the same section of Fig. 5, with chevalve escaping air cannot; follow up lhe of in position to deliver pressure oft,'to force the vessel, but must ho ejecccd her fore or the vessel ahead. Fig. '7 is the same section 75 all, against a solid hoc y of order, and so as Figs. 5, h, with the valve in position to force the vessel to move. The air discharge deliver pressure ahead, to force the vessel is under the vessel near its bow, where the :rsl-crnv buoyancy of the discharge 'tcnds l-o lift the Uponv the deck 1 of the hull 2 there "vessel and keep it up or the head. The secured two,two cylinder engines 3, 4 which 81) guides not to sl-eudy the vessel from rolling. are 01' the internal explosion type, but any As .therei's no mechanism to project beyond preferred type may be used to operate the who hull there isnothiugto retard its progress, compressors 5 with pumps 6, 7, 8, 9. and 10 as this system of propulsion creates no lricwith pumps 11 12, 13, 14. The crmrpresslion on the hull. the full force of the dische. gors pumps are operated by the Your throw 8.3 ing pressure is exerted in moving: ihc cronl; having a oulley lfi vifli hell l7 l t is intended to run i-he compressors continon the driving pul ey oi the engine. 7 The uously, and whenic is dcsired to stop the vr-s object in having compressors with multiple sol the pneumatic fOl'L'L' is di; cctcd both, loro cylinders, or four cycle, is to have continuous and oil at GfLCll side of the lie-c the force 00 pressure. Crank shafts 15 have cranks 19 ing then divided is equalized, and the vessel for pumps 9, 14; 20 for pumps 8, 13; '21 for does not move. To turn the vessel lhe force pumps 7, l2 22 for pumps 6, ll so that concan he oppliml sit at. the starboard side of tinuous prcssure is assured. Each comthe heel, and forward al chc port side of the prcssion pump has an air inlet valve 2 and keel, or vice verso. The full force can he apm. air outlet valve 24 from which loud pipes 9 plied iull ahead, or full all. by simplc moons 2:3, 26, to valve chambers having on which will be more explicitly sel. lorl-h in {he upper part J4 and a lower part. 2-9 projccling specification and illustrated in the occompuinto pert 28 and carrying u. slidc valve 30. nying drawings wherein like "parts are desigrllfziched to ports 29 are lwo pipes 31, 32 noted by similar characters of reference, and loading eslcrn, and two pipcs 35 34 lea-ding wherein is set forth the host method l have ahead, at. each side or" the keel 35, into open u") to the present time developed to nccomended pockets 36 formed h lho heel and plisl the desired purpose. lluli l do not by the odjaccnt short guards 37 hclow the hull. reason of the absence of other specific exam- The guards prcvonl the air escaping without I pics of the physicalembodiment of my impressure, either 'l'oro or all, og sinst the 50 prove/monks intend to forego other examples u'otcr. Valves 30 have apertures 38, 39, 40, and other similar mas-s01" the application of 41 loading in pipes 35 32, 33, 34 When-lire the principle. velvcs are in the iicutrsl position shown in Figure 1 cross seciioh ol lho hull of a Fig. 5, or which time air pressure will pass vessel, with an engine and cl compressor at both lore and sit into pockets each side of the center of the vessel,- the ln Fig. 6 'the valve is shown in the go through notches 42, 43 to pipes 31, 32 toward the stem, to force the vessel ahead, and pipes 33, 34 are closed. In Fig. 7 the valve is shown in the backing or astern position, delivering air pressure through notches 44, 45 to pipes 33, 34 toward the bow, to force the vessel astern, and pipes 31, 32 are closed. It will be seen that valves 30 when in neutral or central position admit air pressure to all pipes 31, 32, 33,34 and can be shifted to admit air pressure to the pipes to drive the vessel ahead, or astern, or if one valve is moved to go ahead and the other valve is moved to go astern, the vessels prow will be turned either to starboard or port, according to which way the valves are shifted. The valves are independent of each other, each having a stem 46 to which is attached a rod 47 reaching and attached to a lever 48 fulcrumed on a stand 49, the

' lever is moved ahead when the valve is in its forward or goahead position, and back when the valve is in its back or astern position. The lever has a guard 50 with a latch 51 enga gnotches 52.

T c laim 1. In a means for the propulsion of vessels by pneumatic pressure, the combination of a vessel having a keel, of a guard at each side of the keel, and for a portion of its length, and below the hull; spaces formed between the guards and the keel which are open to the circulation of water at the bottom and at each end, and compressors having means to deliver pneumatic pressure to said spaces,

, toward the bowand toward the stern of the pressure-toward the stern, and the other portion of said pipes at each side of the keel eing deflected to deliver the pressure toward the bow, and independent means to control said delivery of pressure wholly toward the stern, or wholly toward the bow, or

toward the bow and stern simultaneously.

3. In a system of vessel pro ulsion by pneumatic pressure; a vessel, a eel therefor, open ended pockets formed adjacent each side of a portion of the keels length, and below the hull independent pneu matic compressors with independent driving means a series'ofpipes from one compressor to and through the,v essels bottom at the starboard side'of the'jvessels keel, a portion of said pipes being ,deflected toward the toward the bow of the vessel; a series of pipes from the other compressor to and through the vessels bottom at the port side of the vessels keel, a portion of said pipes being deflected toward the stern, and another portion being deflected toward the bow of the vessel; and independent means to control the passage of pressure to each series series of passages delivering pressure at the opposite side of the keel, a portion of all of said pipes or passages delivering pressure toward the stern, and the other portion delive'ring pressure toward the bow of the vessel, independent means to control the delivery of pressure through the pipes or passages wholly toward the stern, or wholly toward the bow, or to opposite sides of the keel, in opposite directions, simultaneously, and guides adjacent a portion of the keel to form pockets open at each end and below the hull, where the pneumatic pressure is delivered.

5. In a system of marine propulsion by pneumatic pressure; compressors; means for their driving; passages from the compressors to and through the vessels bottom, at each side of the keel, toward the stern and toward the bow of the vessel, and means located intermediate the compressors and the outlet of the passages aforesaid to control the outlets so that the delivery of pressure shall be equalized as to delivery ahead and astern, or wholly astern, wholly ahead, or partially astern and partially ahead.

6. The combination with a vessel, of/com pressors, and means for their operation, valve chambers having passages thereto from the com ressors and therefrom to and through the ottom of thevessel, at each side of its keel; the said passages in about equal proportions and numbers tending to deliver air pressure toward the stern of the vessel and toward its bow, andvalves in the chambers having means to deliver pressure to the passages toward the stern, or toward the bow, at the will of the operator, and to the passages in both directions to neutralize the propulsive force, and means whereby the operator controls the valves for the purposes set forth.

"7. The combination with a vessel of air compressors having-.multiple pumps, means for the operation of the compressors, valve chambers having passages thereto from the com ressors and therefrom to and through the ottom of the vessel, toward its stern and toward its bow, in about equal proportions, valves in the chamber, and means for the stern, andanother portion being deflected operation of the valves, each independent of Tao the other, so that the full pressure may be delivered toward the stern, or toward the bow, or equally toward the stern and bow, or partially on the starboard side of the vessel and partially on the port side, or vice versa.

8. The combination with a vessel of multiple air compressors, each compressor .hav ing four pumps, driven by four throw cranks set 90 apart, means for the operations of the compressors; valve chambers having passage thereto from the compressors, and therefrom through the vessels bottom, the termination of the passages, at the vessels bottom being in direction toward the vess'els stern and how, one half each way on the port side and the starboard or port, .or equal pressure ahead and astern for no movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, EDWARD WILDE.

- Witnesses LEWIS H. REnNnn, R. C. WRIGHT. 

